Gatwick Airport invests £26 million in improving consumer car parking experience – 02/05/07

Colour coded signage schemes, space indicators, an energy saving lighting system, number plate recognition and collapsible bollards for disabled parking bays are among the car parks’ features


UK. BAA-owned Gatwick Airport has unveiled a £26 million refurbishment of its four Short and Long Stay car parks, in an attempt to make the facilities more customer friendly.

London Gatwick is the UK’s second busiest international hub. The investment has been spent on making the areas lighter and brighter, with facilities that are easier to negotiate.

Gatwick Airport Director of Retail Joanna Astor said: “Our car parking services are often the first and last contact many of our customers have with our airport. It is therefore essential we provide the best possible car parking experience for a new breed of business and leisure customer.”

As each bay in the Short Stay multi-storey car parks at Gatwick Airport is occupied, on average, three times per day, security, safety and convenience are at the heart of the investment. Customers now have access to new state-of-the-art services, including colour coded integrated way-finding and signage schemes, space indicators, an energy saving lighting system, number plate recognition and collapsible bollards for disabled parking bays.

The project, which took three years to complete in collaboration with construction company Warings, has already won the British Car Parking Award for Best Refurbishment 2006, for Gatwick South Terminal multi-storey car park three.

The company has also invested £1.1 million (US$2.2 million) in valet parking, offering customers a time-saving solution on arrival and departure. To help ensure vehicles are handed back to the customer in the same condition, a series of discreet photos are taken of the bodywork in order to provide an accurate record for comparison.

Later this year Gatwick Airport will launch several major promotions as part of an incentive programme to support customers using its Long Stay car parks.

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